Mail-bag catcher.



P. ZIMBELMANN.

MAILBAG CAICHER.

APPLICATION mu) mac. 1. IBM}.

1,290,003. Patented Dec. 3|, I918.

QSHEEIS SHUII I.

IN V EN TOR.

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MAIL BAG CATCHER.

APPLICATION mm 050.1.19ns.

Patented Doc. 31, 1918.

3 SHEEIS SHEEI 2 LEE JTNESSESI- JA TTORNEYS.

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P. ZIMBELMANN.

MAIL BAG CATCHER.

1,290,003. I APPLICATION FILED DEC. 7. l9l6. 31 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

' WITNESSES: I INVENTOR.

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PETER ZIMBELMANN, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be' it known that I, PETER ZIMBELMANN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Aurora, county of Kane, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catchers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in mail catching devices designed for use upon "a mail car to effect catching of a properly suspended mail bag during travel of the mail car.

. The object of my invention is the production of a mail catching device, as mentioned,

which will be of durable and economical construction, one which may be readily and easilfiy operated, and one which will be highly e "ient in use. 1 Other objects will appear hereinafter.

.The invention consists in the combinations and arrangement of parts hereinafter de scribed and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawin s forming a part of this specification, and in which,

Figure 1 is afragmental side elevation of a conventional mail car to which is applied a mail catching device, embodying the inadapted to rotate and thus serve 'as rollers to "vention,

reduce friction, as Wlll be readily under- Fig. 2 is a section through the car looking outwardly through the car door, showing the arrangement of the mail catching me"ha nism therewith, portions of the inner wall of the car being broken away to expose under-- lying parts,

Fig. 3 is an end "iew of the mail car illustrating the method of suspension of a mail bag andthe engagement thereof by the mail I 0 I position in close proximity with the slde of catching device, when the device is in use,

Fig. 4 is a section taken on substantially line m--w of Fig. 2,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 except f that the device is here shown in folded orintheir inner edges with recesses 14 which af-.

operative position,

Fig. 6 is a detail section taken on line y-y of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 7 is a detail section taken on line z -z of Fig. 2.

shown at 1, said car having a side door opening}, as Is usual.

he mail bag'catching device which is d'el Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed December 7. 1916. Serial No. 135.687. v

Patented Dec. 31, 1918.

signed for use in connection with said car comprises a vertically extending shaft 3 which is arranged upon the outer side of the car, the same being rockingly mounted in suitable bearings 4. Fixed to and projecting from the shaft 3 are two spaced arms 5 which are connected at their outer ends by a verticallyextending bar 6. Pivotallyconnected with the ends of bar 6 are two elonallel links 10 with a vertically extending shaft 11, the ends of which are mounted in suitable bearings 12 which are arranged ,at one edge of the door .opening 2. The bars 8 and 9 are also connected by links 7 which are spaced between the links 7, extending parallel. therewith,.as clearly shown in Fig. 1. The various links or arms conne"ted with the various bars or shafts are held in spaced relation by means of sleeves 13 arranged upon the former, said sleeves being of proper lengths to perform the function mentioned,- i

as clearly seen in Fig. 1.

bag which is caught by the device is brought in contact therewith, said sleeves will be stcod.

The arrangement is such, as will be seen, that. a. foldable frame is formed which is adapted to assume alaterally projecting unfolded or operative position, as shown in Fig. 4, or a retracted or folded inoperative.

position, as shown in Fig. 5. In the latter position said frame is adapted to assume a ford clearance for the shaft 3 whenthe frame is folded as shown in Fig. 5. When said frame is in unfolded or operative position, the front end. thereof projects laterally from the car to such an extent, that in the travel of, the car, said end of the frame will be,

adapted to engage with a properly suspended mailbag, the links 7 and 7 and links 10 forming an inclined slide or. deflector adapted to deflect the bag thusengaged iii- Said sleevesare" also loosely mounted sothat when the mail wardly'throughthe door 2into the interior of the car, as will be readily underst'o'odi' As V end" ZOTi'sPijQvided" a bevel gear asfseen in Fig, 2, wliichkgearmeshes with a plane as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

seen in Fig. 4 the links? and? are inclined but slightly so as to reduce the ar upon the bag to a minimum, the links 10 being -further inclined to secure the desired deflecting In the movement of the frame to unfolded or operative condition, the joint between the rearward ends of links .7 and the outerends of 5f PaSsesQbeyQnd the dead center and saidarms restagain'st the side of the car whichs'erves as a'stop therefor. With this arrangement any pressure onthe frame ,re-

sulti-n'g' fro'l'nlel'i agement with a ma'ilwbag will servesimp y to press the rearward nds (i links 17 and the outer lends] o'farms.

5into closer engagement with.the sid e of the car, ,thusprecluding.foldingiof the frame.

Actuation. of the matching fra ne described is effected. by meansjeta lbeifelgeiilr 1-5 which 1 I isprovided at fthe lowerend of shaft-.3,said.

' gearlmeshing E'withf a .bevel gear 16 which is 25 provided at theout'er end of a transverselyex tendings'haft ,17 mounted in thelouter wall offthe ;car bodyas;seenin FigLB. The inner end of shaft 17 is'provided with .a' bevel gear s whiehmeshes witha .be'vel gear 19 .providedflat thefllower end of .a vertically extending shaft 20W'hich is mounted in suitable bearings provided between I the inner and outer walls o'fvzthei ca'r'. At the-upper bevel gear 22 provided at one endiof .acshaft 23; the latter being mounted in suitable bean ings also", arranged between the inner' and, outer wallsqof the bodyof the can. coo er. ating with shaft 23 is," a helical torsional" springjai whie'h'is'adapted', normally; to, hold" the inail bag catching" frame in folded. o'rilloperative condition.

Provid d t one end or arm 25 needs, only to be rocked.down-.

wa'r'dlyto the f ullline position, asshown in F 1g; 2. When this? is 1 donejsaid handle,

' Y throughthe-mediumof the shafts and gears described, effects rocking of, the shaft 3--witli= theresultlbflmoving'forward and hence unfoldingthelframe ,t'oj-the" condition shown in r P Fig, 4. Said frame isrel'easahly locked in unfoldedor operative condition by means ofa bolt 26 of a suitable" c'onve'ntional spring lock' 2f7 whichbolt is" adapted for engage? ment with a lateral, projection 26 provided upon ,the arm 25, as clearly'se'en in Fig; 7.

3 The bolt 26 is slida'bly' mounted, the same ergmmauy tennis uerermiuu t movement as's'h'own iuFigs. 2a'nd7, in which position the same is adapted to hold the arm 25 in its lowered position. Said bolt, however, only yieldingly holds said arm,the outer end of said bolt at the place of engagement therewith of said arm being beveled,-4:as seen in Fig. 7 so that-when suflicientinward force or pressure is applied tosaid arm, saidbolt will yield or retract and thus releaseisaid arnn ,Rrovided upon said arm is a projection 28 which, when said arm is in lowered position, vprojects into the door opening 2 intothepath of themaillbag which is deflected by-.the mechanism, before described, "throughsaid door opening The arrangement is such that, when a bagjsemi gaged by the mechanism and'del'i'vere'd" into'f the car in the manner above described sa id bag ,Will strike the projection 28- on arm-11:25 as .thejhag passes through 1.the .door,;the to 'cd ofthe blow on said arm beingl;.fS11fii ii l; iii

lease the arm-25 fromsaid lockibolt-26 permit of thejmail Tbag' atchingframeh.einf;- 7

moved to ,folded eondition"under the'; in-

fluenceiot spring .24,

Theflinner wali otthefcar f asa't 29 in order to atfordclearance for the; 1

In the operation of the 1 mechanism then, it will be i seen ,.th'at tl ie" mail bag" indicjz' ted at 30 in Fig; 3 and which is suita'bly-"suspended along thetra k by a suitable suspendingele Inent 31 ,wil'l, as the train passes, and with the eatehing' mechanism in un'foldedior 10 5;, erati've position, engage with the bag, and" removethe same from element 31 and deflect" said-baginwardl into the interior ofgthe, car through the side door. it'hereof." A s Lth'e bag passes int'othe car itsowirmovement momentum will be utilized to release the" engaging mecha ism whicliwilljb'e autfomativ cally folded to inoperative" position under theinfiuence of spring 245. v The lower end of thefma'il hinsr.catching; frame may be provided with a suitable sus-' pending element 32 for the-suspensionof a mail bag33 which it is desired to deliver to a stationary mail bag catching mechanism.

arranged along the track so that, with this] arrangement, a mailbag may be received from a station-and another delivered to the t io a t e m time... h mai b g catching mechanism of the receiving station, must, of course, be'posit'ioned' in a plane be; low that of the catching; mechanism ar ranged upon the mail car so that there will be no interference between ,the two.

While'I have illustrated and describedtlie p preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into efiect, this is capable of variation and modification without depart-' ing from the spirit of the invention, I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the rec s i aailsiot .co st t ease e ase desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a car having a side opening, of an engaging element foldably mounted on the car adjacent said opening and adapted, during travel of the car and when said element is unfolded to engage a properly suspended mail bag and deflect the same into the interior of the car through said opening, said element comprising a main engaging element; a supplemental engaging member pivotally connected at one I end with the car and having its opposite end pivotally connected with said main engaging member intermediate the ends of the latter; an oscillatory shaft; and an arm on said shaft pivotally connected with the rearward end of said main engaging member adapted,'upon oscillation of said shaft, to effect folding or unfolding of said element, said arm in the folding of said element from folded to unfolded position moving past dead center, substantially as described. M

2. The combination with a car having a side opening of an engaging element foldably mounted on the car adjacent said opening, and adapted, during travel of the car and when said element is unfolded, to engage a properly suspended mail bag and deflect the same into the interior of the car through said opening, said element comprising a main engaging member; a supplemental engaging member pivotally connected at one end with the car and having its opposite end pivotally connected with said main engaging member intermediate the ends of the latter; an oscillatory shaft; and an arm on said shaft pivotally connected with the rearward end of said main engaging member, adapted, when rocked forwardly to its forward terminal of movement, to shift said engaging members forwardly and outwardly to operative position, and when rocked rearwardly to its rearward terminal of movement, to shift said engagin members rearwardly and inwardly to folded positions against the side of the car, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a car having a side opening of an engaging element foldably mounted on the car adjacent said opening and adapted, during travel of the car and when said element is unfolded, to engage a properly suspended mail bag and deflect thesame into the interior of the car through said opening, said element comprising a main engaging member; a supplemental engaging member pivotally connected at one end with the car and having its opposite end pivotally connected with said main engaging member intermediate the ends of the latter; an oscillatory shaft; and an arm on said shaft having an amplitude of oscillation of substantially 180 about a vertical axis, said arm being pivotally connected with the rearward. end of said main engaging member and being adapted, when rocked forwardly to its forward terminal of movement, to shift said engaging members forwardly and outwardly to operative position, and when rocked rearwardly to its rearward terminal of movement to shift said engaging members rearwardly and inwardly to folded position against the side of the car, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PETER ZIMBELMANN.

Witnesses PETER KLEIN, ULMER KLEIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. I 

